Admissions

Danville Area Community College has an open-door admission policy. The College admits all students qualified to complete any of its programs including transfer, career, basic skills, and Corporate and Community Education provided space is available. When adequate space is not available, the College will admit those students who are best qualified, giving preference to students residing in Community College District #507.
Many DACC classes require proof of readiness with one of the multiple placement measures in place prior to enroll- ment to demonstrate academic readiness at designated skill levels to support academic achievement. Therefore, most new students and all students enrolling in classes with prerequisite skill proficiencies are required to present ACT or SAT scores, or participate in the college's placement program. Students may register to take placement tests by calling the Testing and Academic Services Center, 217-443-8708.

General Admission Requirements
Admission is open to anyone who meets the following requirement(s):
1. Has earned a High School Diploma or High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma

Any student under the age of sixteen years of age may be enrolled upon meeting the following criteria:
1. Taking the college's placement exam or providing ACT or SAT scores for proper placement.
2. A signed letter of approval from a school official (principal, guidance counselor).
3. Approval from DACC Director of Admissions and Records.
4. Approval of the instructor.

Please Note: Parents should be aware that their student may be exposed to mature and/or controversial topics and conversations, not only within some classes, but also within the general college environment.

Registration Procedures
1. Speak to an Admissions Specialist. Don't start off on the wrong foot! Every student comes to the college with different backgrounds. Visit, call or email our Admissions office to find out the admission/registration steps that are right for you. Our Admissions Specialists can be reached at admissions@dacc.edu or 217-443-8800 or 217-443-8802.

Academic Suspension
If a student does not meet the academic standards required during the probation period, the student is placed on Academic Suspension. Students have two options after they are placed on Academic Suspension: 1) appeal the suspension (see VII below) or 2) complete a mandatory “stop out” term for the following Fall or Spring term.

Readmission (After Suspension or with a Probation Status from the Past)
Before a suspended student will be readmitted, a Probation Contract must be completed with their Academic Advisor. The contract will identify the measures to be applied to improve the student’s GPA (e.g., change of program, enrollment in developmental or preparatory classes, visiting the tutoring centers, or other academic support services, etc.). Enrollment for the next semester will be limited to a maximum of twelve (12) credit hours. The student must earn a 2.00 GPA or higher for the term. Additional supports such as Career Services, TRIO Student Success Center, Personal Counseling, and/or Tutoring Centers are also commonly required or recommended. The student will remain on probation until a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher is achieved for good standing. In the event that the student does not achieve either of the above-mentioned criteria, the student will be placed on academic suspension for one term.

How to Appeal Academic Suspension
Students may appeal an academic suspension through the Provost/Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs by completing a Request to Appeal Academic Suspension form. The form is sent to each student when they are notified of their suspension status. Appeals will be reviewed with respect to past/current academic standing and/or demonstrated ability to achieve academic success. If approved, additional supports such as Career Services, TRIO Student Success Center, Personal Counseling, and/or Tutoring Centers are commonly required or recommended to assist the student and ensure student success. Please note, submission of an appeal does not guarantee or suggest automatic reinstatement. Students will be notified via the contact information noted on the appeal form. The Provost’s office is located on the second floor of Vermilion Hall.

PRESIDENT’S LIST AND HONOR’S LIST
Danville Area Community College recognizes outstanding scholastic achievements of students each Fall/Spring semester. Students who complete twelve or more degree credit hours and earn a 4.00 semester grade point average on a 4.0 scale have their names placed on the President's List. Students who complete twelve or more degree credit hours and earn a 3.50 semester grade point average on a 4.0 scale have their names placed on the Honor's List.

Academic Status
Danville Area Community College subscribes to the philosophy of the open door policy, whereby it accepts each person at his/her individual level of development and allows the person the opportunity to reach their maximum potential as a student.
a. For the purpose of determining the student’s academic classification, transcripts from other institutions will be evaluated for credits earned. The Office of the Registrar will interpret transcripts according to the current academic regulations of the College.
b. The academic record of transfer students and of students who began their studies at DACC will be evaluated on the basis of their over-all average and not the semester average.

Class Schedule Changes (Drop/Add Procedure)
Changes in class schedules may be made up until the first day of class. Drop/refunds may be processed during the first 5 business days of classes that last less than 12 weeks and through the first 10 business days for classes that last 12 weeks or longer. Students should keep in mind the implications of the changes being considered, course availability (i.e., is it a “Spring Only” course), and/or the effect on degree completion.
Changes in class schedules for students receiving student aid may result in changes to previous awarded amounts.
It is advised to check with the Financial Aid Office when making changes.
Student athletes should also consult with their coach before making any changes to their schedule. Changes in athlete schedules can affect the eligibility of the entire team.

Attendance & Leave of Absence
Attendance in class is a key factor of success in college. To maximize the probability of academic success, students are expected to attend all classes and scheduled laboratories for the courses in which they have enrolled, including their online courses. Each DACC faculty member establishes attendance guidelines in the course syllabus. Students are responsible for knowing and adhering to those guidelines. The College does make two exceptions to the individual attendance policies: 1) Military Leave and; 2) Religious Observances (policies noted below).
Attendance exceptions may also be made by the course instructor. It is each student's responsibility to become familiar with the attendance expectations of the instructor during the first week of class. Students are also responsible for all class content and assignments missed due to the absence. Course absences may result in reduction of grade, drop for non-attendance, or withdrawal of the student from the course.
Students who do not feel they can meet the attendance expectations for the course should drop during the first week of class. See the School Refund Policy. An instructor may drop/withdraw students for excessive course absences.
DACC does not have a Leave of Absence policy. Students should consider classroom attendance policies, the Col- lege’s drop/refund and withdrawal policies (advised by Admissions/ Registration & Advisement), and the Title IV return of funds policy (advised by the Financial Aid Office).

Military Leave
Danville Area Community College acknowledges and appreciates the important contributions of our students who have served or are currently serving in our military. In accordance with Illinois Statute (330 ILCS 60/5.2), students who are called to active military service have the right to receive a refund of tuition and fees applicable to their registration when called to duty for a period of 7 or more consecutive days.
Military Leave is specifically for students who are enrolled in DACC classes and who are members of the National Guard, Reserves, or active duty United States military that have been called to serve with their military units. In order to support these students, DACC pledges to make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations for students who must drop/withdraw or be absent from class due to military obligations. Students should see the Registrar in Admissions & Records (Vermilion Hall) to review their military leave options.

University Religious Observances Act Policy
Danville Area Community College recognizes and respects the broad diversity of religious beliefs and practices of its students in accordance with the University Religious Observances Act (110 ILCS 110/1.5). Please note, “religious observance” or “religious practice” includes all aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief.

Illinois’ Public Act 110 ILCS 110/1.5 states the following:
Sec. 1.5 Absence of student due to religious beliefs. (a) In this Section, “institution of higher learning” has the meaning ascribed to that term in the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. (b) Any student in an institu- tion of higher learning, other than a religious or denominational institution of higher learning, who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day shall be excused from any such examination, study, or work requirement and

shall be provided with an opportunity to make up the examination, study, or work requirement that he or she may have missed because of such absence on a particular day; provided that the student notifies the faculty member or instructor well in advance of any anticipated absence or a pending conflict between a scheduled class and the religious observance and provided that the make-up examination, study, or work does not create an unreasonable burden upon the institution. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the student such an opportunity. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student because of his or her availing himself or herself of the provisions of this Section. (c) A copy of this Section shall be published by each institution of higher learning in the catalog of the institution containing the list of available courses.

Requirement of Absence Notification
DACC faculty and administrative personnel require 5 (five) calendar days of advance notice from students of up- coming religious observance absences to ensure the timeliness of the required actions.

Grievance Procedures for Religious Observances Not Recognized or Respected
Students may contact the Dean of Student Services (Cannon Hall, Room 203) in the event that reasonable accom- modations have not been made in accordance with this policy. The Vice President will work with the faculty member and appropriate academic administrators to work toward a reasonable accommodation for religious observance.

Withdrawal Policy
Withdrawal Policy Students may officially withdraw from their courses with a W grade up until the end of the week that 75% of the course has been completed (according to course start and end dates). Since start/end dates vary, withdrawal dates will be posted every semester. It is the student's responsibility to know the dates. Dates for each semester will be posted at the Admissions Office, all around campus, and on our website at http://www.dacc.edu/ar/withdraw.
Non-attendance does not automatically withdraw a student from a class. It is the student's responsibility to with- draw him or herself. Students should contact the Admissions and Records Office or their Academic Advisor/Counselor by phone or in-person to officially withdraw. If receiving financial aid, students are encouraged to seek counseling prior to withdrawing from coursework, as their financial aid may be affected. Failure to do so may result in the student owing refunds to Federal and/or State programs and result in restrictions for future student aid. Having a debt to the school results in restrictions for future enrollment. Student athletes should also consult with their coach before withdrawing.

Examinations
Students are expected to be present for all examinations unless they are unable to attend due to serious illness, accident, or other reasons beyond the student’s control. No fee will be charged to make up hour, mid-term, or final examinations.

Final Examination
The Office of Instruction will authenticate legitimate absences from final examinations. Only serious illness, accident, or other reasons beyond the student’s control will be accepted as a legitimate absence. This entitles the student to make up the examination without a grade penalty.
The instructor will make the final decision in cases where the absence has not been authenticated by the Vice Presi- dent of Instruction. In such cases the instructor has the option of lowering the course grade if the make-up is permitted. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for making up a final examination if absent at a regularly scheduled period.
Make-up periods for final examinations will be scheduled within one week after the original examination period.
Students who have missed final examinations due to extenuating circumstances must arrange for making up the examination within thirty days after the scheduled final examination period.

TRANSFER-IN CREDIT POLICY & PROCEDURES: EVALUATION OF COURSEWORK FROM OTHER COLLEGES & ENTITIES
Danville Area Community College accepts 100-level and 200-level coursework from other postsecondary institutions who have been accredited by approved national, regional, and professional accrediting bodies. Accreditation shows that the institutions have been evaluated by recognized accreditors and are determined, by their peers, to meet acceptable levels of educational quality.

As part of the DACC application process, students are asked to send “official” transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Once the transcript is received by the DACC Records Office, the transcript is evaluated for credits applicable to the student’s declared major/program of study which will include any math or English credit for course placement. If the student has not indicated a program of study or is “undecided,” only the math and English credits will be evaluated. (Please Note: Students who have indicated “undecided” as their major/program of study are not eligible for Federal and/ or State student aid consideration.) After the evaluation has been completed, students will be able to view transfer-in credit via the myDACC/Self Service portal tool (see below for information) or by contacting the Records Office at 217- 443-8797. The evaluation will specify what the transferred coursework equated to at Danville Area Community College.

If a student updates/changes their major/program of study declaration or wants career-oriented (vocational) coursework to be evaluated, the student should contact the Records Office in Vermilion Hall to make the request. We will need to know the student’s specific major at that time.

Not more than forty-five credit hours will be accepted by transfer. The accepted coursework will also appear on the student’s DACC transcript. Only credit hours are noted on the DACC transcript. Grades are not figured in to the stu- dent’s DACC cumulative grade point average. However, if a student is a candidate for Summa Cum Laude honors at commencement, grades will be considered for any coursework that is used for degree completion.

Danville Area Community College will limit the academic residency to twenty-five percent or less of the degree requirement for all degrees for active-duty servicemembers and their adult family members (spouse and college-age children). Aca- demic residency can be completed at any time while active-duty servicemembers and their family members are enrolled. Reservist and National Guardsmen on active-duty are covered in the same manner. Students who find themselves in the situations stated above will be referred to the Veterans Representative and/or Registrar for any assistance needed.

Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI)
DACC is a participant in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide agreement that allows transfer of the com- pleted Illinois General Education Core Curriculum between participating institutions. Completion of the transferable General Education Core Curriculum at any participating college or university in Illinois assures transferring students that lower-division general education requirements for an associate or bachelor’s degree have been satisfied. This agreement is in effect for students entering an associate or baccalaureate degree-granting institution as a first-time freshman in summer 1998 (and thereafter). More information about the Illinois Articulation Initiative is available online at www.itransfer.org or in the College's Advisement & Counseling office.

Other Credits Accepted
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP): The College is an approved CLEP testing center. Examinations will be administered on scheduled dates by College personnel. Information regarding test registration procedures and fees is available from the Testing and Academic Services Center. Information on the required scores for credit to be granted can be obtained on the DACC website under the Advisement and Counseling webpage. The minimum score required and the number of semester hours awarded is generally based on guidelines set by the American Council on Education (ACE). An official CLEP transcript must be submitted to the Records Office for evaluation.

Advanced Placement (AP) Credit: DACC recognizes credit earned through The College Board’s Advanced Place- ment (AP) Examinations. However, DACC requires a minimum score, set for each exam. The minimum score required and the number of semester hours awarded is generally based on guidelines set by the American Council on Education (ACE). Information on the credit awarded can be found on the DACC website under the Advisement and Counseling webpage.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit: General Information DACC recognizes credit earned through Interna- tional Baccalaureate (IB) Program Examinations. However, DACC requires a minimum score, set for each exam. The minimum score required and the number of semester hours awarded is based on guidelines set by the American Coun- cil on Education (ACE). The required scores, available credit, and course equivalencies granted at DACC can be found on the DACC website under the Advisement and Counseling webpage.

Credit for Military Service: Members and former members of the Armed Services may be granted credit for military experience. Veterans must present a copy of their military transcript(s) to the Records Office (in Vermilion Hall) for credit evaluation.

Proficiency Credit: A student who has acquired knowledge and competency applicable to an educational goal through informal means may earn credit and/or exemption from certain course requirements through proficiency ex- aminations. Proficiency examinations are offered at the discretion of the Dean of the Division responsible for the course based on: (1) the degree to which competency or ability in a given area can be adequately evaluated by a proficiency examination, and (2) judgment of the prior experience of the applicant in terms of the objectives of the course and the adequacy of their preparation to pass the examination. For more information visit our Proficiency Credit webpage at http://www.dacc.edu/catalog-2020-2021/proficiency-credit.

Credit from Non-Accredited Institutions: DACC may consider transfer credits from non-regionally accredited institutions recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), American Council on Education (ACE), and the Department of Education that award postsecondary certificates and/or degrees. Additional documents about the credit and institution will be requested from the student for the College to evaluate the coursework completely. Materials needed may include a catalog from the institution, current status of the institution’s relationship to state, re- gional, national or international educational agencies, course syllabus, course description, pre-requisites, and faculty qualifications.

Servicemember Residency Requirement for Degree/Certificate Credit Hours: For active-duty servicemem- bers and their adult family members (spouse and college age children), DACC will limit the academic residency to twenty-five percent or less of the degree requirement for all degrees and fifty percent or less for certificates. Academic residency can be completed at any time while active-duty servicemembers and their family members are enrolled. Reservist and National Guardsmen on active-duty are covered in the same manner. Students who find themselves in the situations stated above will be referred to the Veterans Representative and/or Registrar for any assistance needed.

DUAL CREDIT
Dual credit programs are offered for junior and senior high school students to take college-level courses and receive college and high school credits. The completed courses and grades are recorded on both the high school transcript and college transcript. The courses must be approved by the high school in advance.

DACC Offers 4 Dual Credit Options:
1. Traditional Dual Credit: Students take courses at DACC (day or night), online, or at the high school, during their high school day. Courses are transfer and career oriented.
2. College Express: 14+ Career Programs offered in partnership with the high schools and VVEDS. Students are transported to DACC for classes.
3. Project Lead the Way: Pre-Engineering program; courses are on DACC campus
4. Middle College: Program for Juniors and Seniors who are experiencing barriers toward high school comple- tion. Courses are career and transfer oriented.

Dual Enrollment (for College Credit Only):
DACC also offers a Dual Enrollment option for students. In some instances, the high school prefers not to count the college credit earned as high school credit. Therefore the credit will not appear on the high school transcript. The credit earned will be for college credit only. With Dual Enrollment/College Credit Only, the College does not apply a discount and the student is responsible for 100% of the tuition and fees. Students must also have a “High School Permission for Enrollment at DACC” form completed before enrolling in a Dual Enrollment course.

Student Eligibility:
In order to participate, students must meet the guidelines of both the high school and DACC in order to receive dual credit:
• Dual Credit is a program for junior and senior high school students. A student will be considered as a junior the summer after successful completion of the sophomore year.
• High schools may require a certain GP A before they will allow a student to participate or it is based on enroll- ment in a certain high school classes.
• Many of DACC’s courses have reading, writing, and math prerequisites. If a student does not meet them with high school coursework, ACT, SAT, or our placement test, they cannot enroll in the dual credit course. Stu- dents may take the placement test at DACC or at the high school.
• Many of the DACC courses have course prerequisites. Dual credit students must meet the course pre-requi- sites before they start the dual credit course. Course pre-requisites can be found with the course description at https://www.dacc.edu/courses.

Early Admittance to Dual Credit Program
DACC will consider exceptional freshman and sophomore students who demonstrate readiness for college level coursework through the Colleges' established institutional policies.
• Each freshman and sophomore student will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• One Time $80 Assessment Fee for Freshman & Sophomore students who meet the placement requirements and who enroll in a Dual Credit course.
• Additionally, the student will be required to present the following information to be considered:
o Completed "Request for Early Admittance to Dual Credit Program" form
o Proof of placement into ENGL 101 and MATH 107
o The DACC Placement test, ACT, SAT or High School Transcript can all be used for proof of placement.

Please turn "Request for Early Admittance to Dual Credit Program" form into Registrar Timothy Morgan at tmorgan@ dacc.edu. Please call 217-443-8803 if you have any questions about this form.

Tuition and fees vary per dual credit/enrollment program and early admittance to dual credit program. Full and partial tuition waivers are provided depending on the program and/or the student’s free and reduced lunch status. Please note, dual credit/enrollment program and early admittance to dual credit program coursework is not eligible for Federal Title IV programs and/or State Student Financial Aid (Federal title IV or ILMAP/IIA).

To learn more about dual credit options, contact the High School Counselor or the DACC Admissions & Registration Office.